I Bet My Life
by flowerpower71
Summary: Based on an "What if" Au idea I had. Stanley makes a deal with Bill in order to bring Stanford back from the other dimension. Now it's up to Standford to save his twin brother from the clutches of the evil mind demon but in order to do so, he'll need some help. Friendships are made. Past sins are brought to light and nothing is more powerful than a brothers love.
1. One Year Later

**This is an AU story that has been basically eating me alive for the past several weeks. A sort of "What if" scenario if you will.**

Now I'm not gonna lie, I got the main plot of the story down but I don't really have all of the details worked out yet so updates on this story are kinda gonna be all over the place. ^^;

That said though, big thanks to those who do read this story and I hope you enjoy it. Its definitely gonna be quite the emotional roller coaster.

Also FYI, this is set before the series so Stan is a young adult here.

Story belongs to me

Gravity Falls belongs to Alex Hirsch.

Enjoy~!

* * *

 _"I've told a million lies but now I tell a single truth: There's you in everything I do."_ **-** ** _I bet my Life, Imagine Dragons_**

* * *

One year.

One full year.

An entire 365 days since _that_ day.

One full year since Stanley Pines had last seen his brother.

Slightly shaky hands tightly clenched around the wrench and muscles flexed as Stan worked to turn the wrench, tightening the bolt on the lever to the portal. Sticky black oil stained his already dirty and ripped jeans along with his previously white t-shirt but Stan couldn't care less about any of that. His mind was much too preoccupied with the task at hand.

"It has to work this time. It has too!" Stan said to himself, slight desperation in his voice. Once the bolt he was tightening would move no more, Stan jumped to his feet and hurried over to the control panel. His fingers flew over the panel, pushing buttons and flipping switches.

The man's head jerked up and looked over at the triangle shaped portal in front of him. The machine began to hum as it came to life. The circle in the center of the triangle began to glow and rainbow colors began to swirl as it started up. This was it! He had finally fixed it!

"Yes! YES! Come on baby!" Stanley cheered, the biggest smile pulling at his face. At last. At long last his brother would be back.

Or so he thought.

Stanley felt his smile fall and his heart drop into his stomach. There was a spark and a buzzing noise followed by a short blast of electricity that shot itself around the portal. The lights in the portal dimmed, the rainbow colors disappeared and the humming stopped as the machine died again.

"AW COME ON!" Stanley screamed, hitting the side of the control panel with his fist in frustration. He was so close...so very close.

Stan sighed and balled his hands into fists and pressed them against his brown eyes. Flashbacks of that horrible day, the last time he saw his twin, playing again in his mind.

Stanford's crazed and paranoid look and behavior.

That stupid fight.

That stupid brawl.

Stanford kicking Stanley and accidentally causing the burn scar/tattoo on the back of his right shoulder.

And worst of all, the pure and utter wave of horror that Stanley felt once he pushed Ford into the portal and watched as his brother disappear inside as he called for help.

Stanley had lost count of how many times he thought that scenario over. What he could have said differently. What he could have done differently. The many many times he had prayed to wake up from this nightmare. Prayed for a second chance to have done things different. Oh what he wouldn't give to change this fate.

But alas, one cannot change the past. All that Stanley could do now was keep working and fix the portal to bring Stanford back.

Still, that didn't lessen the blow of yet another failure.

Stanley let out a shaky breath and removed his fists from his eyes. He blinked a couple of times warding off the threatening tears and he turned and looked at the clock. 12:47 AM.

A wave of exhaustion suddenly washed over the younger Pines twin. He had a busy day running the shop and had been even busier trying to work on the portal ever since he closed up shop for the day. It was time to call it a day.

With a heavy heart and a weary body, Stanley turned and trudged up the stairs out of his brother's secret lab. He exited the lab behind the vending machine and headed up to his room, stripping down to his boxers and white tank top before collapsing face first onto the bed. His mullet sprawling out across the pillow.

Stan rolled to his side and stared off into the darkness. Once more his mind drifted back to his brother. Was he going to bed right now too? Was it morning wherever he was at? Was he warm? Was he safe? Again and again the same old questions ran through his mind and again and again, Stanley had no way to answer them.

"Goodnight Ford...wherever you are."

Stanley rolled onto his back and stared up at the ceiling. Exhaustion began to settle in and he felt his eyelids slip down over his chocolate brown eyes, drifting off into a deep, deep sleep.

* * *

When Stanley opened his eyes he did not see the ceiling of his bedroom like he should have. Instead, much to his confusion, he saw sky.

A gray, cloudy, sky.

"What the hot Belgian waffles?"

Stan's body immediately moved into a sitting position and he looked around him at his surroundings. For miles and miles upon end, all he could see was tall dry grass that gently swayed in the breeze. Stanley quickly realized he was in some type of field but the question remained:

Why was he here?

And for that matter, how did he even get there?

The mullet man briefly wondered if his past had finally caught up with him and he had somehow been knocked out and kidnapped in the middle of the night by one of his many, many enemies. After all, he never did get to pay Ricko back that money he still owed him.

Stan shook his head, disregarding the idea. No. Surely he would have known before now if he had been kidnapped. Plus he would have been tied up and the kidnappers would have been around to make sure he didn't escape if that was the case.

So if it wasn't a kidnapping, then how'd he get there?

"Hello?" Stan called rising to his feel and looking around. "Hellooooo!? Hey! Is anyone there?"

His frown deepened and he bit the inside of his cheek when no response was heard. There wasn't another soul around for miles and Stan came to the conclusion that he was completely and utterly alone.

 _"Yeah, what else is new?"_ Stan thought bitterly.

Without knowing what else to do, the man decided to start walking and try to find...anything. A road. A house. People. Anything to give him some sort of idea where he was at. He started walking forward, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his dirty red jacket.

Wait, jacket?

Stanley stopped and looked down at the jacket he was wearing. Food and grease stains marring the faded red fabric. "Huh...I could have sworn I took this off before I went to bed..."

He shrugged it off for there were more pressing matters to attend to first and continued onwards, walking aimlessly through the grassy knee high field.

Stan didn't know how long he had been walking for until he felt his body come to a dead stop. His eyes widened and he stared at the objects in front of him.

Correction: Three objects.

"No way..."

To his left, was the swingset that he and Stanford used to play on all the time as children, and even still sit on as teenagers when they were out of school. Only difference was that one of the swings was broken.

To his right, was the Stan-o-War. Well sort of. The ship bore a strong resemblance to the old dingy he and Stanford had found all those years ago and had worked on together every summer but never got to finish. It was exactly how Stan had imagined it would look when it was complete, but now the sails were torn and a large whole took up more than half a side.

And in the center, right in front of him, was the portal. Unlike the other two objects though, portal was not broken. It was as perfect and pristine and as dead as it had always been.

Stanley shuddered violently as he stared at the three objects. A sense of dread suddenly washing over him. Whatever was going on here, he did not like it.

"Okay, this is getting too creepy." he mumbled taking a few steps back. What the heck was going on?

"Hiya!"

"GYAAAAH!" Stan screamed and whirled around, his hand clutching at his chest.

"Hey, hey take it easy bub. Don't have a heart attack."

Stanley blinked and looked at the source of the voice. In front of him was a bright yellow triangle wearing a black top hat and a black bow tie. A large, single eye took up the majority of the creature's "face" and Stan felt another small shudder go down his back as the eye stared right at him, seemingly straight through to his soul.

"Take a picture pal, it'll last longer." The triangle spoke, glowing a tiny bit with everyword it spoke. Stan briefly wondered how this...thing, had the ability to speak for it did not have a mouth.

Stan blinked and looked around. Left. Right. Then back at the triangle and pointed at himself. "Are you talking to me?"

"No shit Sherlock. You see any other mullet heads around here?" the triangle spoke as it floated behind Stan and gave his long hair a little flip. Stan retaliated by smacking his hand away.

"Hey! Don't touch the hair!"

The triangle held up his hands in a surrender like motion. "Okay, okay take it easy there."

Stan rolled his eyes and looked back at the triangle again, raising an eyebrow. " Who are you?"

"Name's Bill. Bill Cipher. Nice to meet you."

Bill Cipher. Why did that name sound familiar?

"Uh...I'm Stan." Stan introduced himself awkwardly, not knowing what else to do.

"Oh I already know who you are."

Stan blinked caught off guard. "Excuse me?"

"I said, I know already know who you are."

"No offense, but I'm pretty sure I'd remember meeting a talking nacho."

"Wow! Stanford was right. You really are a smart alec."

The whole world suddenly stopped. "Stanford...you know my brother?!"

"Sure do~!" Bill raised his hand and snapped his fingers. Blue flames suddenly engulfed him, disappearing just as fast as they appeared. Once the flames were gone, so was Bill.

"WAIT!" Stan screamed desperately, reaching out to where Bill once stood.

"Over here."

Stan whirled around and felt relieved seeing Bill, casually swinging on the swingset. He walked over. "You know my brother?"

"Yep." Bill answered popping the 'p'. "Old Fordsy and I go way back. You could say, he's an old friend of mine. And he told me all about you."

Stan blinked a sense of dread settling in his stomach. Whatever Ford told Bill, he was sure is wasn't good. "Look, whatever that idiot told you, me breaking his invention was an accident!"

"Accident or not, you still screwed up his chace of going to that fancy schmancy dream school of his." Bill replied matter of factly before disappearing once again in a burst of flame. Stan looked around and this time spotted the fancy triangle in the crows nest of the broken down Stan-O-War. "But I guess that that worked out for the best cause then otherwise, he wouldn't have met me."

A million thought's jumbled through Stan's mind at once. Most of them about his brother but he needed to get some of the more obvious ones out of the way first. "Okay slow down, what are you exactly? And where the heck are we? And why are we here!?"

Bill gave a casual wave of the hand. "All you need to know about me is that I'm a very powerful guy. I know all and see all and can do things your puny little human brain cant even imagine. As for where we are, were inside your mind."

"...You lost me."

Bill poofed again and reappeared sitting on the side of the ship, casually leaning his legs over the edge. "This is a dream. You're body is still fast asleep inside that shack you call a house. The you standing here now, talking to me, is your dream self."

"Then why am I dreaming this?" Stan asked getting more and more weirded out by the second.

"Geesh you ask a lot of questions." Bill rolled his eye. "Minds and dreams are kinda my thing you see. I want to talk to you so I entered your mind while you were sleeping."

"...Yeah. That's not creepy _at all!"_ Stan responded dryly. "Ever hear of personal space?"

"Actually, I think you're gonna be happy with what I'm about to say next: I got a deal for ya."

Every fiber of his being told Stanley not to listen to another word. To walk away and not look back. This Bill character was shady and Stan knew it...but he was also the last possible link to his brother.

"What kind of deal?" Stanley asked cautiously.

Once again, blue flames erupted up and Bill disappeared again. This time he appeared in the front of the portal. Floating in the dead center.

"I can help you bring your brother back."

* * *

 **Dun Dun DUUUUUUUH!**

 **Yeah. Needless to say things are about to take an interesting turn for Stan. And not neccesairly a good one either. o-o (Im so mean to him. Im sorry Stanley. I still love you, you old fart)**

 **So since this is an AU, I'm gonna be taking a few liberties with Bill and switching things up with his powers. All will be explained in the next chapter but for now, all you need to know is that in this AU, Bill doesn't need to be summoned to enter someone's mind. He is free to enter anyone's mind on his own.  
**

 **I hope you liked this chapter so far. See you guys at the next one. Have a good day/afternoon/night wherever you are! Toodles~!**


	2. A Deal With the Devil

**So, I would have had this uploaded last night, but the storm decided to roll on in and then knock out my internet so yeah. That was a no. But hey, better late than never right? :D**

 **Anyway, thank you to everyone for the reviews, follows and favorites! I hope you guys enjoy this next chapter...though Im preeeeeetty sure I'm gonna get some hate for this. :'D**

 **Okay, Onto the story!**

 **Gravity Falls belongs to Alex Hirsch**

 **Story belongs to me.**

 **Enjoy~!**

* * *

"I can help you bring your brother back."

With those eight little words, the whole entire world came to a sudden halt. Eight little words and Stanley knew that his life was about to change forever once again. Eight little words that carried so much weight and meaning.

Eight little words full of lies.

"You're bluffing!" Stanley snapped pointing an accusatory finger at the floating top hat wearing triangle. "I've been working my ass off on that portal for a full year, ever since my brother got sucked in there in the first place! There is no way that some weirdo Cyclops tortilla chip like you can bring him back so easily!"

"What? You don't believe me?" Bill asked feigning innocence in his voice.

"No. I don't." Stanley said crossing his arms stubbornly.

"Stanley, please. Take a minute and think about what you're throwing away here." Bill tried to reason. "Like I said before, Im a very powerful guy. In fact, just the fact that I'm talking to you right now should be proof enough."

Stanley would still not be convinced. He didn't want to get his hopes up only to have them crash and burn like they have so many times before in the past. "Yeah well, for all I know this is just one of those weird food induced dreams. You're the cold leftover pizza I had for dinner tonight and when I wake up tomorrow, all of this will just be a dream."

"It will be if you want it to be."

Stan blinked and looked over at Bill again. His eyebrow quirking up in confusion and curiosity of the odd statement. "What are you talking about?"

"I have the power to enter peoples minds, talk to them and even control their dreams." Bill explained. He raised up a skinny black colored arm and turned in a circle, gesturing to the portal, the swingset and the ship. "You think these three things are here merely by coincidence? Nuh uh. I brought these things here because these things are the main objects that have the strongest memories between you and your brother."

With a snap of the fingers, Stan felt his body stiffen as the Stan-O-War suddenly began to creak. The boat moved as if it were sailing in the water instead of stuck in a dry grassy field and Stan watched as the front of the ship began to lift itself into the air and then began to sink beneath the grass. Disappearing and never to be seen again.

To his left the swingset suddenly began to dismantle itself and, like the boat, sunk into the ground. Only the portal remained untouched.

"I can bring things here and I can take it away just as easily."

Stan's hands clenched themselves into fists inside of the pockets of his jacket and he felt his face scowl. "Yeah. That's all fine and dandy. But I aint interested in seeing my brother in my dreams and having him disappear the moment I wake up. So unless you can bring Ford back in the real world, I aint interested so see ya."

And with that, the brunette turned on his heel and began to storm off. Walking away in the opposite direction of both Bill and the portal. He was done dealing with the weird little creature and now just wished he could wake up.

"Hold your horses there!" Stan jumped back as Bill suddenly poofed in front of him. The shock of the sudden appearance was so sudden it caught Stan off guard and he fell backwards landing on his back, with an 'Oof!'

Stanley groaned in pain and opened his eyes only to see Bill hovering over him, hands resting on his...hips?

 _"Do living triangles even have hips? I mean, he's got arms, legs, an eye and can talk so maybe?"_ Stan shook his head of these odd and irrelevant thoughts of the pesky shape. Now was not to time to be questioning the anatomy of a shape.

"You didn't let me finish." Bill said as he lowed himself down and stood on Stanley's stomach. Stan lifted his head up just enough to keep contact with the dream creature and glare at it. He was really starting to get annoying. "Yes it's true what you said. I can make anything happen in the dream world but once you're awake, its just that. A dream. Or a nightmare. Depends on my mood, honestly."

"So why would I want you to bring my brother back if its just a dream and not the real thing?"

"Because Stanley Pines, it CAN be the real thing."

Stanley remained quiet, searching for the right words for a comeback but none would come to him. Surely this is all just some type of trick. Surely he was bluffing.

...But then again, what's the harm in hearing him out.

"...I'm listening." Stan finally gave in.

"There's a little bit of a loophole." Bill began. "If you make a deal with me in the dream world, then it becomes reality in the real world. If you make a deal with me, that little portal of yours will start right up and old Six Fingers will be back at home safe in sound where he belongs."

It was too good to be true. All those tries and failures. All the heartache. All the guilt. It was all about to end. Stan felt his heart begin to lift. This was it! This was the chance he had been waiting for!

But at what price?

Stan felt his smile fall and a feeling of caution replaced his previous joy. "What's the catch?"

"Oh nothing to big." Bill reassured. "I just need a physical form for a little bit."

"Physical form?"

"Yeah. Im just an illusion in here remember? But once you make a deal with me, Ford will be back and I'll just temporarily take over your body."

" Wait, WHAT?!" Stan shrieked. "No way! Not gonna happen!"

"It'll only be for a little bit!" Bill quickly put in. "I just want to know what it's like to be in the real world for a little bit. That's all. And besides, a couple hours of me having fun is nothing compared to the price of having your brother back. You're getting the better end of the deal here."

Bill suddenly began to float upwards off of Stan and once again, Stan got the "seeing your soul" feeling from Bill as that one single eyeball stared down at him. The triangle mind demon held out his hand and blue flames erupted around it.

"So, do we have a deal?"

Stan was torn. This didn't sound right. Having another being take control over his body? Who knows what damage Bill could cause while inside. And of coarse Stan would get blamed for it all in the end. And what would happen to him while Bill was possessing him.

But then...what about Stanford?

His brother would be back. They would be together again. He could quit stealing his brother's identity and go back to being Stanley again. They could be...they could be friends again.

"Tick tock Stanley. I'm not getting any younger here."

Stan weighed the options in his mind and now he could see, it was no contest. He rolled to his side and rose to his feet. His brown eyes stared into Bill's one eye and he held out his hand and clasped his hand to Bill's. The fire from Bill's hand engulfing his own.

"It's a deal."

* * *

Gun shots exploded and sirens screamed. Stanford's heart banged against his rib cage and his breath came out in quick pants as he raced down the street.

"Stop!"

"Don't let him get away!"

Stanford turned his head and looked back, cursing under his breath as the two grotesque henchmen of his mortal enemy began to gain on his heels. A six fingered hand went to the pocket of his black cargo pants and shoved itself inside the pocket. He pulled out the handmade grenade and pulled out the pin with his teeth before turning back long enough to toss it back at his pursuers.

"Watch out!" one of the henchmen shouted as the grenade flew back in their direction. The men split up, one going left and the other going right, and Stanford took a flying leap and dived behind an abandoned overturned car just as the grenade exploded.

Stanford hunched down and covered his ears with his hands. The earth shook and his teeth rattled inside of his mouth and he felt the heat of the fire from the grenade momentarily above him before it disappeared in an instant.

He opened up his eyes which he didn't realize he had shut and waited a second. Then another before poking his head over the car, peeking to see if the coast was clear. His pursuers were gone, probably blown back by the blast. With the coast clear, Ford rose to his feet and broke out into a quick jog, getting away before the men or anyone else came after him.

 _"That was_ too _close."_ The brunette thought to himself, looking behind his shoulder to double make sure that no one was following him. He continued forward and his mind began to calculate his next coarse of action. He was running low on provisions and needed to restock. There was an abandoned convenience store just a couple of blocks ahead. He'd go there and steal some food and water. Then he'd head back to his hide out and lay low the rest of the day.

It was a simple "Get in, get out" type of plan really. But it wouldn't be so easy to accomplish. Ford was a wanted man in this dimension. His face was plastered all over this city and with the high bounty hanging over his head, keeping hidden wasn't exactly easy with people constantly looking for you.

Luckily though, the streets seemed to be abandoned now. It was late at night and most of the residents were asleep.

After a few moments of travelling in silence, Ford finally rounded th corner and made it to the abandoned store. The windows were shattered and graffiti decorated the filthy brick walls. Ford entered the store and the inside was much worse. Shattered glass littered the floor, shelves were overturned, cobwebs took over every corner and the floor was sticky with spilled soda and melted candies.

Ford paid little mind to the mess and got to work sorting through the contents of the non turned over shelves, stuffing his bag with anything that was eatable and not too horribly broken beyond repair.

The man paused as he reached to stuff another snack food into his backpack but stopped upon noticing the writing on the bag.

Toffee Peanuts.

Eleven years worth of anger suddenly came rushing back and washed over Ford like a tidal wave as memories from long ago flashed through his mind. Memories of his brother sabotaging his perpetual motion machine and ruining his chances of getting into his dream school. Memories of Ford finding his brother's favorite snack food at the scene of the crime and realizing he had been betrayed in the worst possible way by his once most trusted person. Memories of the fight they got in when Ford returned home that night and memory of the last time they saw each other one year ago, right before he was sent to this hell on eath...

It was all Stanley's fault!

His six fingered hand shook slightly and he clutched the bag tightly before throwing it across the room. The bag was airborn for several seconds before it smacked against the wall and then flopped down onto the ground.

Stanford let out a couple of shaky breaths as he let his anger melt away. Now was not the time to be getting angry and taking said anger out on innocent snack foods. Now was not the time to be thinking about _HIM._

He turned around and prepared to resume his foraging but a sound caught his attention. A type of tearing sound, only much louder and closer. Stanford barely had time to turn his head before he was blinded by a bright light that suddenly flooded the room. The outlaw dropped his bag and his arms flew up, covering his face from the unearthly brightness and he felt his feet slide back on the linolieum floor from the sudden forced winds. What was going on!?

Ford slowly moved his arms away and blinked, trying to adjust to the light and the winds to see the source of the sudden chaos. Once his sight returned to him, Stanford felt his stomach drop along with his jaw and his chocolate eyes widened to the size of saucers at the sight before him.

"Oh no. NO! He didn't!?"

The source of the sudden light and wind was coming from a bright circular white light with rainbow colors swirling around the outer edges. Ford knew exactly what it was. A portal. A portal back home to his own dimension.

But that also meant something else.

"That IDIOT!" Ford exclaimed pulling at his brown and white streaked hair in frustration. "He's going to create an intermensional ri-"

Ford's rant was cut off by a horrified gasp as his warnings and theories suddenly began to become a reality. In the bottom corner of the portal, a small tear began to form. The inside of the tear looking like outer space and if not for the fact that Ford knew that this rift could mean the end of the world, he would have taken a moment to appreciate the beauty.

 _"Oh no! This is not good! I must contain it somehow!"_ Ford thought as he frantically looked around the shop for something to contain the rift in. A grin suddenly pulled at his lips as he caught sight of a shelf of snowglobes that once were up for sale. Most of the snowglobes were broken but a couple were not and that gave Ford and idea.

Quickly he snatched up one of the non-broken snowglobes and detached the glass ball from the base. Water, fake snow and glitter poured out onto his muddy boot but Ford paid no mind as he raced back to the portal. Being careful not to actually touch the rift, the male managed to scoop up the floating space-y looking material into the glass ball and quickly slapped the base on top.

"Haha! Gotcha!" Ford declared, grinning in victory. He then sat the now contained snowglobe onto the counter and rummaged in his backpack and pulled out some caution tape, along with some small pipes and then attached them to the snowglobe in order to better contain the rift. "There. That should work for now."

Ford stared at his newly created experiment, taking a few moments to watch the swirling space matter as it moved around inside it's glass prison like lava in a lava lamp.

But now he had another issue to deal with.

The winds continued to blow, gently tossing his brown and white locks around and Ford looked up at the portal. It was still there. He grabbed the rift and stuffed it into his pocket as he took a few steps forward peeking inside the middle of the portal. The image was hard to see but from what Ford could tell, it looked like his old laboratory...

 _"I...I can go home..."_

Despite his still burning anger towards his twin, both for their old issues from the past and his new anger for being wreckless enough to tamper with the portal and risk destroying the world, Ford would be lying if he said he wasn't at least a tiny bit happy to finally be out of this literal hell hole.

He adjusted his goggles and wrapped his scarf around his face and with a deep breath, Stanford Filbrick Pines walked forward into the portal. The portal growing small and smaller and within seconds both him and the portal were gone forever and the convenience store was abandoned once again.

* * *

At first everything was white. Blindingly white. Stanford couldn't even see his own hand in front of his face. Despite the momentary blindness however, he continued on, walking forward. But then, a shape began to take form up ahead. A circle. And inside the circle, Stanford immediately recognized his laboratory.

Slowly, Stanford walked ahead. Worried that this was just a dream. He walked towards and finally through the portal and once he was out, the machine behind him died down. This wasn't a dream. He was home!

And his home was an absolute wreck.

The lab was destroyed. Anything that was not nailed down looked as it had been lifted off the ground and then dropped back down.

 _"Must be from the gravity going out of whack when the portal had started up."_ Ford thought to himself as he walked forward looking around his lab. Oh how many hours had he spent in here? Thinking, planning, analyzing and creating.

As Ford was about to take another step forward, something caught his attention. Ford looked down and couldn't help but smile at the object. A red leather bound, obviously well loved and well used book. A golden six fingered hand was glued onto the cover and the number one was written in the palm of the hand.

 _"My journal."_ Ford thought fondly as be bent down and grabbed the old book. He opened up his black coat and stuffed the journal in the inside pocket, right next to his white feather quill pen. Once the journal was safely secure inside his coat pocket he reached up and removed his goggles and scarf and that's when he spotted something else.

" _Stanley!"_ Stanford growled, glaring daggers at his brother's back as a new wave of fresh rage washed over him. "What were you thinking you knuckle head?! You could have destroyed the universe! This was an _INSANELY_ risky move restarting the portal! Didn't you read my warnings!?"

Silence was his only response.

Ford gritted his teeth and clenched his fist. "Ignoring me isn't going to work Stanley! Answer me, dammit! What the hell were you thinking?!"

But once again, the elder Pines twin was greeted with silence.

"Stanley Pines! I am talking to you!"

Ford felt something inside of him snap and with only four long strides, he stormed forward and clenched his hand into a fist. He reached up with his other hand and spun his brother around, raising his fist to punch him but the instant his caught sight of his brother's face, Ford's anger was instantly replaced with stone cold fear and another horrified gasp escaped his throat.

"No..."

An insane smile pulled at Stanley's lips and an even more insane sounding laugh erupted from it. Stanley's once warm chocolate brown eyes that looked identical to Ford's was now completely yellow, even the whites. And his pupils were now long, oval and vertical shaped.

Ford took a step back away from the man as the laughter continued to grow louder in volume, getting more hysterical sounding and insane by the second. This...this was not Stan.

"Welcome back Fordsy."

* * *

 **I'm so mean to the Stan twins. I'm sorry. (Well, not really since Stan getting possessed is like, the main plot of this story) BUT IM STILL SORRY!**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed this. Remember to leave feedback of what you thought and I'll try to update soon-ish.**

 **Until then, have a wonderful day/afternoon/night wherever you are. Peace~!  
**


	3. Meat Puppet and a Desperate Decision

**WARNING FOR THE SQUEAMISH! THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS SEMI-GRAPHIC DESCRIPTIONS OF SELF MUTILATION. (Well, technically it's not "self" persay but...ah you'll see what I mean in a minute.) READER DESCRETION IS ADVISED.**

 **Gravity Falls belongs to Alex Hirsch**

 **Story and AU belong to me.**

 **Enjoy~!**

* * *

Stanford took a step back. Then another. His blood ceased to flow and the cold, merciless hand of fear gripped his heart as he stared at his twin...only now, it was not his twin.

"No...No! No! It cant be?!"

"Surprise~!" Bill grinned sadistically and laughed. "Oh boy, does it feel good to be in a body again!" he declared admiring his new vessel. "Though, I gotta say, this ones a little bit more on the chubby side." he added as he poked at Stan's stomach.

"You!" Bill looked up as he suddenly found himself being grabbed by the shirt collar. "You leave my brother's body this instant!"

"Hmmm, yeah not gonna happen." the dream demon jus grinned and then proceeded to shove the brunette off of him. Ford stumbled backwards before tripping over a pipe and falling on his bottom. "Besides, your brother and I made a deal."

Stanford froze. His head snapping up towards Bill's direction. "He...what?"

"I said, we had a deal." Bill repeated, walking over to a machine and staring at his reflection. "Oh wow! Lookit this hair! I thought only the females of your kind had long hair like this?" he grabbed a strand of the mullet and examined it. "Hmm...To cut it, or not to cut it? Descions. Descions."

"What do you mean you made a deal with Stanley!?" Ford demanded, trying to get Bill's attention back to the conversation.

"Geez, and you're supposed to be the smart twin." Bill gave his new hair a little flip behind the shoulder before he turned around and placed his hands on his hips. "Let me put it simple for you: I brought you back and in return, I get to use your brothers body as my own personal puppet."

He...what?

The elder Pines twin just sat there on the cold tiled floor as he let the words sink in. Stanley _let_ Bill possess him?...To bring him back to his home dimension?

A strange mixture of both overwhelming guilt and furious rage over came Stanford and for the first time since he had first appeared in the other dimension one year ago, he had no answers for what to do an felt completely and totally helpless.

 _SLAP!_

Ford was yanked from his thoughts once more and looked over. Bill was still staring at his reflection. A stupid grin on his face and a red handprint on his right cheek.

"Haha! Pain is hilarious!" he slapped himself again. This time on the left. "Whoo!"

"Stop that!" Ford ordered, jumping to his feet and storming over towards his possessed sibling.

"Aw, what's the matter Fordsy? You don't like me slapping your little brother~?" Bill taunted. His smile fell and his yellow eyes scowled and Ford knew that the situation was about to go from bad to worse. "Well too bad! Stanley's mine now!"

"No! I wont allow it! I wont let you do to my brother what you did to me!"

"Oh come off of it Sixer." Bill waved his hand in a dismissive motion. "You can drop the righteous, loving brother act now. We both know that everything you're saying right now is a lie."

"You know nothing!" Ford growled, clenching his hands into fists.

"Oh really?" Bill crossed his arms. "Then explain to me all those times where you ranted and raved to me about how your brother ruined your life?"

"Now see here-"

"About how he cost you your dream school by breaking that machine of yours?"

"Shut up!"

"How many times have you told me that you _hate_ him?"

"I said SHUT UP!"

"The truth hurts Sixer! Your no-good brother is the reason you wound up in the portal in the first place! Why should you care what happens to him?! Why-"

Bill saw a blur and pain erupted from his cheek. The force of the punch so strong that it knocked him off of his feet. Down he fell to the floor but a second later was grabbed by the shirt collar once again and lifted up off the ground. Furious brown eyes glared into his yellow ones.

"Now you listen to me you psychotic, three sided nightmare." Ford growled, his voice low and deadly. "Yes my brother and I have our differences. But that doesn't change the fact that he's family! I'll be damned if I'm just going to stand by and let you hurt him. So get out of his body, NOW!"

A moment of silence passed. The exceptions to the silence being Ford's heavy, angered breathing. Bill on the other hand, kept a blank expression. A wicked smile pulled at his lips. "Wowzer Sixer! I don't think I've ever seen you this mad before. I kinda like this side of you. But like I said, your brother's my meat puppet till further notice."

"If you wont get out of Stanley's body then I'll _force_ you out!" Ford threatened, the grip on his brothers stained white t-shirt tightening. Ford couldn't see them but he was pretty sure that his knuckles were beginning to turn white.

"Go ahead." Bill's sadistic grin only grew. "Do your worst. But just remember, whatever you do to me, you'll be doing to your brother."

The world stopped.

Every ounce of color drained itself from Stanford's face and he felt his grip loosened. Bill was right. His eyes flickered over to Stan's right cheek, a bruise from the punch already beginning to form. Bill had worked both of them into a corner and now they were trapped.

"What do you want?" Ford whispered, his voice low and broken.

Bill simply raised finger and pointed at the broken down portal. "I want you to fix the portal."

"NO!" Ford immediately answered. He knew what would happen if he did. He had experienced what nightmares would happen every single day for the past thirty years! There was no way in hell that he would willingly fix that god forsaken portal and let Bill's madness seep into his home deminsion. "Forget it! I wont do it!"

Ford expected an argument. A retaliation of some kind. But inside, Bill just simply shrugged. "Suit yourself then."

"I wont let you take over-" Ford stopped mid sentence and blinked, dumbfounded. "...Wait, what?"

"I said, suit yourself. Are you even listening?"

"...That's it? No rebuttle?"

"What more do you want from me, Stanford? Geez!" Bill reached up and managed to unwind Standford's fists from his shirt, finally allowing his feet to touch the ground again. Ford just watched as his possessed twin turned and then calmly began to walk up the stairs back to the main part of the house.

...No.

No, this was all types of wrong and Stanford knew that Bill had another motive. He would not let this matter drop without a literal to the death fight. His brain began to function once more and Stanford raced up the stairs after his twin.

Upon reaching the top of the stairs and exiting through his secret entrance, Ford looked left, then right, trying to find Bill. He heard a loud clattering coming from the kitchen and he raced off.

"Bill?!" the name escaped his mouth before he could even process that he spoke. "Bill! What're you-"

He turned the corner and froze. The silverware drawer was pulled open and both the drawer and it's contents were scattered around the floor. The smell of iron assaulted Stanford's nostrils and a puddle of scarlet blood oozed out from a long, deep looking cut that stretched across Stanley's arm, looking like a blood waterfall.

"Stanley!"

"You know~" Bill started, twirling a sharp knife around carelessy in his non cut hand. "I'm partially fond of yellow myself, but I also like red too~"

Ford's heart leaped itself into his throat as he watched as his possessed brother begin to drag the blade of the knife across his arm yet again. Another bloody waterfall began to ooze out from the arm and cascaded down to the tiled kitchen floor.

"STOP IT!" Stanford screamed, pure horror in his voice. He lunged towards Bill, desperately reaching for the knife but with a simple turn of his body, Bill moved out of reach and Stanford fell down. He shuddered as he felt something wet and warm seep through his shoe and realized that he had fallen into the blood puddle.

"Ah, ah, ah~ Not so fast Fordsy~" Bill taunted, grinning as Stanford turned around to face him. "You keep forgetting he's mine now. Which means I can do whatever I want with him!"

Ford's breath caught in his throat and his heart stopped completely as he watched as Bill placed the knife blade across Stanley's throat. "And what I want, is to make him bleed."

"Bill...no, please! You cant do this!" Stanford begged, totally helpless.

"Fix the portal and I might reconsider!"

"I...I-I..." What could he do? What can he do!?

"Tick tock Stanford. The clocks ticking."

Bill pressed the knife a bit deeper and a small trail of blood began its journey down Stanley's neck.

"Stop!" Ford begged reaching for his brother but daring not to take any sudden moves closer, lest Bill makes a fatal move. "Bill no! Please! You cant!"

"I can and I will!" the dream demon snarled, glaring with a burning fury at the terrified scientist. "A deal it a deal!"

A deal...

Deal.

Deal!

That's it!

"Wait!"

Bill stopped, the knife still pressed to Stanleys neck. The small trail of blood dripping down and staining the previously white shirt. The blood from his arm dripping down and staining his shirt, jacked, pants, shoes and the floor. His yellow eyes locked in on Stanford, waiting to see what the white and brunette haired man had to say.

"You like making deals, make one with me."

Bill blinked caught off guard by the suggestion. "Wait seriously?" Ford nodded grimly. "...Go on."

"Give me two weeks." Ford started. His chocolate eyes tired and looking as if he has aged a hundred years in only a few minutes. "You promise not to hurt Stanley during those two weeks and give me some time. If I cant find a way to get you out of his body, then I'll fix the portal."

"Now why on earth would I do that?" Bill scoffed.

"Because if you don't take my deal, then I wont fix the portal. And if you hurt Stanley than you wont have a physical form anymore." Stanford pointed out.

Bill bit his lip and hesitated. The man had a point.

"You and I both know that your powers are limited when possessing a human." Stanford continued. Hoping. Praying that the demon would agree. He needed more time. "And if I cant...if I cant defeat you, then I'll fix the portal. You'll have rule over this deminsion and an actual physical form of your own."

Bill was quiet. His mind analyzing the situation. Stanford was smart. Bill knew that much. What if he actually figured out a way to exocise him from Stan's body? But on the other hand, Stanford was the only one who knew how to fix the portal. Plus he had his brother in his possession. Stanford wouldn't risk anything if it meant hurting him?

"...Make it one week."

Ford was quiet. He knew that making any kind of deal at all with Bill was a terrible mistake. It was because of his first deal with Bill that had gotten him into this mess in the first place.

But it was also a deal that was the only thing keeping Bill from killing Stanley right on the spot.

"One week." Ford sighed. With trembling hands he lifted up his arm and Bill reached out, clamping his hand around Stanford's. Blue flames erupted around their hands, sealing their contract. The fire was warm but not unbearably so.

Bill smiled again, that sweet sickening smile that signified that he was in the lead. "See you in a week Sixer. And don't worry. I'll take _good_ care of your brother for ya~"

Ford had to shield his eyes as Stan's entire body erupted into blue flames. Bill's manical laugh mixed with Stan's echoed throughout the kitchen and in the blink of an eye, he was gone. Only a scortch mark and the puddle of blood on the floor being evidence of the events that just happened.

Ford felt weak. His legs trembled violently before giving out. His knees slammed onto the tiled floor and both of his hands flew to his face. The palms of his hands working their way behind his glasses and pressing into his eyes which had began to leak with tears. His shoulders shook and a sob echoed through the empty house. Mixed in with the sobs were curses. He cursed Bill. He cursed Stanley for making that deal. But most of all, he cursed himself.

He didn't know how to fix this.

* * *

 **...I'M SO SORRY! IM SO SORRY STAN AND STAN FANS! PLEASE DONT HURT ME! I'M SORRYYYYY!**

 **Anyway, next chapter might be a tad bit delayed due to the fact that Im still figuring it out. :'D**

 **In the meantime, thank you for reading and have a wonderful day/afternoon/night wherever you are in the world!**

 **Bye~!**


	4. A Stranger Tells All

**Hello everyone!**

 **I have another update for ya'll...I'm not entirely happy with it, to be honest and it's kind of short and filler-y, but I hope this will still suffice. I promise the next chapter will be better.**

 **Anyway, lets get on with the story!**

 **Gravity Falls belongs to Alex Hirsch**

 **Story and AU belong to me.**

 **Enjoy~!**

* * *

The full moon shone overhead in the night sky. Mostly void, partially stars. The sleepy little Oregon town below it remained quiet. The majority of it's residents sound asleep save for the occasional gnome and other creatures that roamed the night.

And of coarse, the terrified scientist.

Stanford's muddy boots thudded against the tiled floor of the kitchen. The puddle of Stanley's blood still remained along with the spilled silverware drawer and it's contents. His heart raced and six fingered hands threaded themselves through his brown and white hair, pulling at it in fear and frustration. His body shook and his breaths were quick, short and paniced.

What the hell was he supposed to do?

"Damn you Bill...Damn you Stanley...Damn EVERYTHING!" he cried in despair, slamming his fist against the kitchen wall in frustration.

Ford dragged his still clenched fist down the side of the wall and rested his forehead against it. He closed his brown eyes and took several deliberately deep and slow breaths to try to calm himself down so he could think. He needed a plan and having a panic attack wasn't going to solve anything.

He analyzed the situation: His brother was being possessed by one of the most dangerous supernatural beings in the entire universe. He had one week to figure out a way to reverse this fact and save his twin and kill said dangerous supernatural being.

Sounds simple.

"Doomed. We're all doomed." Ford sighed in defeat. He removed his forehead from the wall and opted to sit on the floor instead, resting the back of his head against it. The memory of seeing his brother possessed like that constantly assaulting his mind.

Those eyes...those terrible, sickly yellow eyes...Those eyes weren't human. They weren't natural. Had he looked like that when Bill was possessing him?

Ford felt sick as he thought that thought. This was all his fault. If he had never summoned Bill in the first place, none of this would have happened.

"For being the smart twin, I'm such an idiot." he sighed, again trying to think of a solution.

He couldn't outright physically attack Bill without the risk of hurting Stanley in the process. So the solution would be to somehow get Bill out of Stanley's body.

But how?

His mind began to work again, trying to think of all that he knew about the yellow three sided demon. Ford had spent much time with Bill during their years of "friendship." They had worked together, played chess together and talked together.

With every little bit of information that Ford had discovered about Bill, he only knew of one weakness: Being in the mind scape.

A six fingered hand made its way to Ford's chin, rubbing at the stubble. (His lighter ran out of fluid the other week and he was in desperate need of a shave) Perhaps, if he could somehow trick Bill into leaving Stanley's body and enter his own, he could somehow either trap or kill Bill the moment he was out of Stanley's body but before he could posses his own.

But again, HOW?! How do you kill something that doesn't have a physical form?

An angry, frustrated groan escaped the scientists throat. "THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE!"

He buried his face in his hands. He...he couldn't do it. Bill had gotten him for good this time. He couldn't...he couldn't save Stanley.

Not by himself anyway.

The weight of the journal suddenly felt like a heavy cinderblock inside the pocket in his black coat. He remembered a year ago, after he had discovered Bill's betrayal but before he got pushed into the portal. The weeks leading up to that were hell on earth for Stanford. Paranoia had taken over his life. Everywhere he looked he saw triangles and eyeballs staring back at him. He couldn't sleep for days because he knew the instant he did, Bill would be there in his dreams and would do to him exactly what hes doing to Stanley right now.

He remembered during those hellish weeks the warnings about Bill he had written in the journals. Paranoia causing him to write his warnings in invisible ink. And his mental and emotional unstability from the betrayal causing him to write and to live by a single three word phrase for the past year.

Trust No One.

Stanford bit his lip to the point that his teeth broke the skin and he tasted blood. He had been on his own for so long. Everyone that he had trusted in the past eventually betraying him in some way, shape or form. Who could he turn too for help now?

A name suddenly resurfaced in Ford's mind. Aside from Stan, there was only one other person that Stan knew who had knowledge about Bill. One other person who knew Stanford as well as he knew himself. One other person who he was willing to put the past aside for and trust once again.

He just hoped the person would even speak to him.

* * *

Stanford knew it was late and that most of the town was asleep, but this was the very definition of an emergency and he needed help as of yesterday.

 _"He'll understand...I hope."_

Despite not being here for a year, Standford was surprised at how easily the memory of the town came back to him. The town hadn't changed much at all during his absence. There was the local diner where Susan the waitress worked and the Convenience store that was run by that nice elderly couple. The buildings were the same. The streets were the same. Everything was the same as it was the last time he saw it.

Stanford took a little bit of comfort in this fact.

The comfort and nostalgia quickly wore off though as he realized he was getting closer to his destination. His stomach did a flip and he bit his bottom lip. What would he say? What _could_ he say? How would he react?

Stanford's worried thoughts were pushed to the side as he spotted his destination. A small but cozy little house just on the outskirts of town. Stanford had been to this house many times. Both for work related business and as a guest, invited over just for fun and friendly bonding.

The scientist was worried. He hadn't been to this house or spoken to its owner since that one night...that one terrible night...

He shook his head. It was too late to chicken out now. He sucked in a breath, marched up the creaky wooden porch steps and pounded his six fingered fist on the door.

"Fiddleford! Fiddleford open up! Please?! It's me! Stanford!"

A moment passed and a light flicked on from the inside. The brunette heard shuffling and heavy footsteps pounding down the stairs and the door was opened by-

Not the person he was expecting it to be opened by.

In the doorway stood a large, _large_ man. Someone who put Stanford in mind of a body builder who liked to eat nails for breakfast and bench press humans instead of weights. He towered over Stanford by a good two and a half feet and the light of the moon reflected off his shiny bald head and his eyes squinted at Stanford in annoyance and in anger at the rude awakening. The scientist felt himself shrink down in fear.

 _"I have made a grave mistake. He's going to eat me."_

"Do you have any idea what time it is?" the man spoke, his voice deep and rumbling like a hungry lion on the prowl. This just further emphasized the fact in Ford's mind that he was just mere moments away from being beaten or devored whole. Perhaps even both.

"I-I-uh-" he coughed and smiled up nervously at the massive, intimidating man. "My deepest apologies sir. There seems to have been a mistake?"

"You don't say?" the man mumbled annoyed. "What do you want four-eyes?"

Ford glanced around at the house. The address was correct, the house number was correct. The house itself was correct. This was the right house but why wasn't he here?

"I'm looking for an old friend of mine who used to live here, I suppose." Ford responded. "Fiddleford McGucket?"

The man blinked the name registering in his mind. "McGucket? You mean that crazy old kook?"

...What?

"Uh...Crazy old kook?" Ford asked uncertainly. He was beginning to get the feeling that he wasnt going to like what he was about to hear.

"Yeah, you haven't heard?" the man asked. "Rumor has it the guy had some sorta mental break down or something about a year ago. Went completely nuts. Anyway he stopped paying his rent for this place and got kicked out so now I'm here."

A weight felt like it was pressing itself down on the scientist as he took in the news. The memory of that night with the portal came rushing towards his mind. "You...You can't be serious!" he cried in despair. "There's no way..."

The man shrugged. "Look man, I don't know. Im just going by rumors." he paused and blinked. "Wait a second, if you're that fools friend how did you not know all this already?"

Ford had to think on his feet here. "I...I haven't been in town for the past year so I'm a bit out of the loop." It wasn't a complete lie, really.

"And why the hell are you looking for him at this god forsaken hour?" the man asked, annoyance lacing his voice. "It's 2:30 AM for cripes sake!"

"I know. I know. I'm really sorry for disturbing you." Ford apologized sincerely. "Listen there's a bit of an emergency and it's really, _really_ important that I find him. Do you know where he is?"

The man let out a yawn. "Try the dump."

Ford blinked. "The dump? Fiddleford's living at the dump!?"

"Look man, I aint got time for this!" the man snapped. "I got a wife and kids sleeping in there and I got to be at work in a few hours. I ain't got time to be playing twenty questions with some weirdo banging on my door at 2:30 in the damn morning."

Ford felt like he should have been offended by the "weirdo" comment but in all honesty, he wasn't. And he didn't blame the man for saying that either because he was also absolutely right.

"Rumor is that he's at the dump, that's all I know." the large man explained grabbing the doorknob in his large beefy hand. "Good luck. Good night and good bye."

Ford flinched as the door was slammed shut in his face. He heard a tiny _click_ signaling the door had been locked and once again he had found himself all alone.

Mental break down?

Dump?

Kook?

The scientist shivered and felt his chest grow tight. Once again the memory of that night racing towards the front of his mind.

Fiddleford getting sucked into the portal.

The wide eyed look of pure terror in his eyes when Ford pulled him out.

The garbled gibberish.

The warning.

And then finally, the fight they had gotten in before Fiddleford stormed out of the house.

That was the last time the two had seen or spoken to each other.

But surely the man had been mistaken. Surely Fiddleford was still fine. Surely he didn't _really_ have a breakdown. Surely it wasn't caused by the portal.

Right?

Once again, Ford pushed his thoughts aside and let out a shaky sigh. There was only one way to find out.

And so, he turned on his heel and began walking in the direction of the town dump.

* * *

 **BTW: Random scary large dude is not supposed to be anyone specific and shall no longer be seen or mentioned in the story again. :'D**

 **Hope you all enjoyed this (boring) chapter and stick around for the next one. Have a great day/night/afternoon wherever you are! Bye~!  
**


	5. Typerwriters can be a Health Hazard

**Gravity Falls belongs to Alex Hirsch**

 **Plot belongs to me**

 **Brief song mention belongs to Rednex**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

The walk to the town dump was a relatively uneventful one, as to be expected for it was now nearing three a.m. Stanford however was too riled up on stress and adrenaline to even think about being tired.

His muddy boots scraped across the dirt road as he once again passed through the town and made his way towards his destination. His stomach in a knot and his mind going in a million different directions.

He was not looking forward to what he was going to find.

He knew that things had ended on a sour note the last time he had seen his old collage buddy. The scary bald man's words echoing in his memories.

Mental break down?

Stanford shivered slightly and pulled his black coat closer to his scarred up body. Not from cold but from the thought of what had happened to his friend during his absence.

And to top it all off, Stanford didn't even know where to begin to explain the situation he had found himself and his brother stuck in. But most worrisome of all...

Would this all be in vain? Would Fiddleford even be willing to help him after the way he was treated?

All thoughts and worries came to a temporary hault as Stanford lifted his head and stopped in his tracks.

"Is that...banjo music?"

 _"If it hadn't been for Cotton eyed Joe!  
"I'd been married a long time ago!  
"Where didja come from?  
Where didja go?  
Where didja come from Cotton eyed JOOOOOOEEE?!"_

Stanford flinched and covered his ears as the incredibly bad singing hit a high note and went from incredibly bad to incredibly worse. Who in their right mind would be awake at three in the morning singing that hick song?!

Stanford froze, blinking as the answer came to him even before he had finished thinking the thought.

He quickened his pace, following the music until he finally reached both the source of the music and his destination.

The town dump.

Right in front of the dump was an old run down shack that looked as if it had been thrown together with thrown away pieces of wood and other junk (On second thought, perhaps it had been) There was no door. Only a thin, ripped pink blanket hung in the doorway, acting as a barrier between the inside and the outside elements. And on the porch of the rickety hand built house sat a man in a rocking chair. His nose was long and his appearance was haggard. A large hat sat atop his head, covering what used to be light brown hair but had now started to prematurely turn white, that matched his thick fluffy beard that took up most of his face. His eyes were shut and a peaceful smile pulled at his lips as he gently rocked back and forth in the rocking chair. The banjo resting in his lap and his fingers plucking at the strings.

"Fiddleford?"

The name had been spoken before the scientist realized he had said it. The bearded man stopped his rocking and banjo playing. His blue eyes opened and he turned his head looking at Ford in slight surprise. He put on a friendly grin, revealing the multiple missing and gold teeth. "Well howdy stranger! Wasn't expectin anyone here at this hour."

A moment of silence passed as Ford stared at his former friend. He had changed so much! What had happened?

The brunette and white haired man shook his head, reminding himself that he still needed to respond. "F-Fiddleford?" he croaked out. That seemed to be the only word he was capable of saying at the moment.

The hillbilly let out a soft laugh. "Hehe. Whooo boy! Haven't been called by my first name in quite some time. Most folks 'round here just call me Crazy Old Man McGucket, ya see." he froze suddenly, blue eyes going wide for a moment before glaring at the black clad stranger suspiciously. "Hey wait a dern picking minute, how do ya know my name?"

Ford knew that it had been awhile since they last seen each other and that a lot had happened in between that time. (A whole lot in Fiddleford's case) but still, it had only been a year and Ford hadn't changed that much in appearance, save for the white streak in his hair and a couple (a lot) of scars. Surely Fiddleford would recognize him...right?

"Fiddleford...I-its me. Stanford! Stanford Pines!" the hillbilly blinked in response and quirked his eyebrow. "It's me Fiddleford! Don't you recognize me?"

The man shrugged. "Nope. Sorry. Don't know no feller by that name."

"Yes you do!" the scientist pleaded, confused and distressed at the apparent memory loss. "We used to be roommates and best friends in collage! You were helping me with an invention last year! How can you not remember?!"

A silence fell between them as the bearded hillbilly wracked his brain, trying to pull up the details of the story he was being told. He stared at Ford long and hard. Ford opened his mouth to speak again but was cut off as his collage buddy let out a loud, hysterical, shriek. A pain shot itself through Ford's head and he was temporarily blinded for a second and saw stars. Once the darkness had disappeared and the world stopped spinning, Ford was shocked to find the banjo was now broken and stuck around his neck.

"What the hell?!"

"Y-You-You stay away from me!" Fiddleford warned, shaking like a leaf and looking absolutely terrified before retreating into his dumpster home.

"Fiddleford wait!" Ford grabbed the banjo and after a moment of struggle he managed to get it off of his neck and quickly ran inside. "Fidd-

"I SAID GIT!" the kook shouted and threw a dented pot at the man in an effort to get him to leave.

Ford yelped and ducked the pot which crashed into the wall behind him. "Fiddleford have you gone mad?! What's wrong with you?!"

"GIT AWAY! GET AWAY! GIT AWAY! **_GIT AWAY_**!" the shouting and object throwing becoming more urgent. Fiddleford's southern accent getting thicker and thicker and more terrified with each "git away."

Stanford on the other hand had to continuously duck the projectile flying objects to avoid being hit. Another pot, a bucket, a suitcase and even a raccoon! Despite the danger he tried to continue forward to reach his friend, which only made the man go into even more of a paniced frenzy.

"Fiddleford please! Listen to m _-AAAHH!"_

He barely had time to look up and see the old fashioned typewriter heading right for his face before a sharp pain exploded in his head and the world went black.

* * *

Ford groaned and the world spun as he regained his conscious some time later. He had a splitting headache and he blinked, trying to get his vision right. He was laying on the dirt floor, but as he tried to sit himself up, he realized that he couldn't move his arms. Or legs for that matter. He looked himself over and saw that his arms had been tied behind his back, bound at his wrists with some slightly frayed rope and his feet had gotten the same treatmeant at the ankles.

"Great." he grumbled. "Like this night couldn't get any better."

Out of the corner of his eye, Stanford spotted movement. He turned his head and saw Fiddleford huddled in the corner of the room, shaking like a leaf and tightly clutching the broken banjo from before by its neck, holding it like a weapon. On the ground near his barefeet stood a raccoon who was growling and hissing at Stanford, taking a protective stance in front of her frightened master.

"N-N-Now listen here," the Southerner stuttered, "I-I don't want any trouble s-so-so just git on outta here and leave me alone!"

"Fiddleford, please!" the brown eyed man begged desperately. "I need to talk to you-"

 _"NO!"_ the hillbilly suddenly exploded. He shook his head and covered his ears with his hands. "I don't wanna hear it! Why should I listen ta anything ya have ta say?! YOU RUINED MY LIFE!"

A silence fell between them once again. The words beginning to weigh down heavily on the tied up former outlaw. Stanford was silent, looking his friend up and down. Fiddleford looked completely different than he had when he saw him the previous year. It was needless to say the former computer genius had hit a downward spiral which lead to rock bottom.

"You mean...I did this to you?" Stanford whispered in shock and horror.

The hillbilly kept his gaze on the floor and his head shook slowly. "...I...I don't remember much of anything any more...but when I saw you tonight, I remembered that ya did somethin ta me an' now I'm like this!" he suddenly looked up, glaring furiously at the scientist and Ford felt himself flinch under the intense icy gaze. "Tell me what happened! Tell me what ya did ta me!"

A lump began to form itself in the six fingered man's throat. For a moment, he couldn't speak. All he could do was stare at the man in front of him. All the memories of their past friendship playing through his mind, only to end with them in their current situation.

"You...you really don't remember the portal?"

"What portal?"

Two words and a confused quirk of the eyebrow was all Stanford needed to know that the kook was being serious.

"You actually don't remember?!"

"I have a bad memory okay?!" the hillbilly snapped getting frustrated. "Look, I cant remember what you did but I know you did something, now tell me you-you...ah dangit! Lookit! You done got me all frizzle frazzled that I cant even think of an insult!"

Ford let out a long slow breath trying to get his bearings together. This wasn't exactly a story he was anxious to bring up. Not to mention how would Fiddleford react? But given the current situation, he didn't have much of a choice but to comply with the banjo players wishes.

"Alright, it all started some years ago..."

And so Stanford began to tell the tale of the events leading up to the current moment. Of how he and Fiddleford first met in collage but had went their separate ways after graduation. About Ford's first meeting with Bill and being tricked into building the portal and recruiting Fiddleford to help him. And finally about _that_ night.

"...And when we let the test dummy go, the rope had gotten tangled around your ankle and you got partially sucked into the portal, yourself. I managed to grab the rope before you got fully sucked in and pulled you out but..." he trailed off, staring at the ground as a tidal wave of shame and guilt washed over him. "But by then you had already been exposed to Bill's chaos...You tried to warn me but I was too stupid and stubborn to listen. We got in a fight and you quit the project and stormed out. That was the last time we saw each other." he raised his head looking at the other man who had remained quiet during the entire story. "Judging by your current state, I'm guessing whatever you saw was more traumatizing for you than I thought..."

Fiddleford had remained quiet throughout the entire story. Slowly but surely fragments of the forgotten memories began to rise back to the surface. Memories of him and Ford hanging out in their shared collage dorm and of them working on the portal together.

And then came the memory of the fear as he felt himself being lifted off the ground and realizing he was about to be pulled into the portal. The memories of the horrors he saw on the other side. Fire, and hideous monsters. Chaos and screaming and death and the yellow one eyed monster laughing like the insane maniac he is.

"Fiddleford?"

He flinched at his name and realized that he was holding his head and shaking like once again, from the memories. "I...I remember now. I remember what I saw." he looked up, lowing his arms down to their sides. "I tried te warn ya that that darn portal was no good but ya wouldn't listen!"

"I know." Ford hung his head in shame. "I know. You were right and I'm paying the price right now for not listening to you. I'm so sorry Fiddleford..."

The crackling of the fire in the corner of the room served for the only noise as the two men contemplated each other. Fiddleford was confused. He didn't know how to feel about the brunette in front of him. By all accounts, he should hate him. He should be yelling and screaming and hitting him with the banjo ago. Stanford was the one who talked him into working on the portal in the first place. Stanford was the one who didn't heed his warnings.

...And yet, he couldn't do it.

The bearded man looked the man up and down. He looked like something the raccoon dragged in. He had looked at his face throughout the entire story and saw guilt, shame, worry, sadness and fear all mixed together and on clear display in his brown eyes.

He might not have been able to remember much, but deep down Fiddleford knew he had a connection to this man and it was as clear as day that the man before him deeply regretted his part in Fiddleford's downfall.

"...I forgive ya."

"Huh?" Ford's head snapped his head up, brown eyes blinking in surprise. "You...what?"

"I said I forgive ya." He rose to his feet and the sleeping raccoon gave an annoyed chatter at being awoken before running off out of the room. The Southerner walked over and then kneeled down, beginning to loosen the ropes from Ford's wrists. "I can tell you're sorry...and I guess this might be our old supposed friendship talkin, but I feel a connection too ya. Besides, you just look like you could use a friend right now."

Ford was stunned. He hadn't expected to be forgiven so easily, if at all. Especially after Fiddleford's freakout. The instant he felt the ropes being removed from his wrist, the scientist turned and pulled the hillbilly into a hug. Fiddleford's body stiffened but quickly relaxed and smiled returning the gesture.

The two stayed that way for a second longer before pulling away. "So," Fiddleford began. "What brings ya here at this hour anyway?"

The smile that had appeared on Ford's face fell as he was once again reminded of the situation at hand. "I...I need your help."

* * *

"W-wait, wait, now hold up. Lemme get this straight: You've been stuck in that portal thinga-ma-jigger for the past year and your twin brother made a deal with that one-eyed monster to get you be back here. But now your brother is being possessed and you got a week to figure out how to save him or else it's gonna be the end of the world?"

"That's basically it in a nutshell, yes." Stanford shrugged.

Fiddleford paused, blinking and staring up at the brunette. "...You done gone got yerself in a big ol' pile of donkey spittle, my friend."

Stanford sighed. "You can say that again."

"You done gone got yerself in a big ol' pile of donkey spittle, my friend."

"I did not mean that literally!"

"Sorry." Fiddleford apologized. "But what does that have to do to me?"

"Fiddleford I can't do this alone." He turned towards his friend, desperation in his face and voice. "You're the only other aside from me and Stanley one who knows about Bill! I-I cant save him on my own! I need help!"

"Well what am I supposed to do?!"

Stanford opened his mouth to respond but no sound came. He had been so determined to reunite with his old friend, so focused on hoping that he would accept the help that he had not stopped to consider what would that help would imply.

"I...I don't know..." the words hit him like a weight. He was beginning to hate those three little words. "I don't know..."

The hillbilly frowned looking at the scientist who had seemed to be retreating into himself with the realization. A yawn suddenly escaped him and he looked at the clock. 5:30 AM.

"Alright lookie here, here's what were gonna do." Stanford looked up as he felt a hand on his shoulder and the other on his arm, pulling him up. "It's late...early...whatever. And neither of us have slept. Lets just get some shut eye and then we'll try to come up with some type'a plan later."

"There's no time to sleep! I gotta-" Stanford was cut off by a loud yawn. All the stress of the days events hitting him full force and leaving him exhausted.

"What you gotta do is get some shut eye. Ya cant help nobody if you're sleep deprived." Fiddleford said firmly. "Besides, ya said you had a week. A couple hours ain't gonna hurt no one."

He had a point and frankly by this point Ford just didn't have it in him to fight anymore. "Alright."

* * *

Ford sighed as he laid down in the makeshift bed consisting of a thrown out mattress Fiddleford had found in the dump and some spare blankets. Slowly he felt his muscles begin to relax and he sat his glasses to the side closing his eyes. He tried to will his mind to remain quiet but he found himself once again thinking about his brother.

What was Bill doing to his body? Was he okay? How was he going to fix this? So many questions and so little answers.

 _"Hey! Stanford!"_

Ford clenched his blanket tighter. Great. Now he was hallucinating hearing Stanley's voice.

 _"Stanford!"_

This was a really strong hallucination. It sounded almost sounded like he was right behind him.

 _"Turn around Sixer!"_

Brown eyes snapped open, staring into the darkness. That time the voice sounded _too_ real. Slowly, very slowly the scientist rolled over to his other side, coming face to face with a dirty old gym sock with googly eyes glued on. The sock being extremely close to his face and _floating?!_

Ford screamed and flung himself away from the sock. He stumbled off of the mattress and onto the floor and scooted back on his butt, staring at the sock in disbelief and confusion.

"Stanford its me! Stanley!"


	6. Right By Your Side

**Sorry this chapter is a bit late. As you can see, it was quite the challenge to write. But I finally got it done so lets get this show on the road!**

 **Gravity Falls belongs to Alex Hirsch.**

 **I only own the plot of this story and the AU.**

 **Enjoy!  
**

* * *

He stared at the floating piece of smelly fabric and googly eyes in shock and alarm. Surely this was not happening. Ford had seen many, MANY weird things during his years of studying the little odd town of Gravity Falls, but hearing his brother's voice coming from the sock puppet was just too much!

"St-Stanley?!"

"No, it's Bigfoot. Of coarse it's me!" the sock puppet yelled irritated. Ford rubbed his eyes and reached over, putting his glasses back on his face to make sure he was not seeing things. Nope. The floating sock was still there.

"Stanley you...You're a sock puppet!"

"Not exactly." the younger twin admitted. "I'm actually more like a ghost at the moment. I've been here the whole time ever since you stepped out of the portal but you couldn't hear me or see me."

A pair of six fingered hands made their way to the scientists face and he rubbed it, trying to wrap his brilliant mind around the current situation. "What...what happened?"

Stanley paused for a moment before beginning to speak. "Well, it happened like this..."

The flickering blue fire reflected itself in Stanley's brown eyes as he stared at the outstretched hand. He was torn. Every fiber of his being was screaming at him. Every instinct was warning him to turn around and not look back. To not take the deal. But at the same time, an even bigger part of him was telling him to take the deal and save his brother. That voice being equally as loud and as powerful as the first.

"Tick tock Stanley. I'm not getting any younger here."

He looked from the blazing blue hand and up at the single eyeball which was staring straight to his soul.

This shape, this creature, this Bill Cipher person was Stan's only hope of seeing Ford again. He had been working on portal and he would continue to do so...but realistically speaking, what were the chances of success? Ford was a genius, Stanley was not. Not to mention without the other journals, would his attempts even work? And how long would it take? He had already been working on fixing the portal everyday for an entire year.

What if he said no and never got the portal to work on his own? What if this was his one and only chance to bring his brother home?

As that last thought crossed his mind, his mind was set and his fate was sealed. Two brown eyes met a single blue one. With his face stoic and determined, Stanley lifted his own hand and grabbed the triangle demon's hand in his own. The blue fire spread, engulfing both hands. The fire was warm but not unbearably so.

"Deal."

The moment the word left his mouth and the deed was done, the cold hands of regret and fear gripped at Stanley's heart. Bill's eye sparkled with delight and crinkled upwards slightly as if he were smiling. The triangle glowed and an other worldly manical laugh sounded. On instinct, Stan loosened his grip on Bill's hand and tried to pull away but Bill's hand tightened and he pulled.

Due to the force of the pull, Stan stumbled forward. A strong, vaccum like force was felt and for a split second, he felt all the air leave his body. The field fell away and everything went back and the conman found himself tumbling in a circle before he finally came to a dizzying stop.

"So that just happened." he mumbled rubbing his head. He blinked looking around and quickly realized he was back in his bedroom in the Mystery Shack.

The room was eerie and something felt...off. Way off. But what could it be? Everything was exactly as it had been before he went to bed. There was the pile of dirty laundry in the corner of the room, the empty pizza box next to the night stand, Stan sleeping in the bed, the slippers at the foot of the bed

"Wait, WHAT?!"

Laying in the bed on his back, brown mullet hair splayed out over the pillow was Stanley...or at least his body.

Stan blinked looking at the body in the bed and then down at himself. He gasped in shock as he looked down at his hands. They had a white-ish tint to them and were see through!

"What the-h-how the-" the younger twin stuttered, beginning to hyperventilate. "Am-Am I DEAD?!"

"Not quite."

Stan looked up at the sound of the voice, once again looking at his body in the bed. Slowly, the eyes opened. Stan jumped back in alarm seeing the yellow eyes and oval shaped pupils, along with the creepy, evil smile that occompanied them.

"Okay! This is getting weird!"

The body slowly began to rise into a sitting position and turned to look at the twin. "Well what did you expect to happen?" Bill's voice asked, coming out of the body.

"What did you do to me?!" the newly debodied Stan demanded. "Am I dead?! Did you kill me?! So help me if you killed me I'm gonna kill you, do you hear me?!"

"Sheesh, you human's are so dramatic." Bill rolled his eyes, kicking the blankets off of him and standing up. "No, you're not dead. Technically speaking, at least."

"What's that supposed to mean!?"

"It means that without a vessel to posses you're basically a ghost." Bill grinned and Stan felt his heart drop (if he still had one) "No one can see you or hear you."

"You...YOU TRICKED ME!"

With an angry cry, Stan threw himself at the trickster mind demon. He felt a sort of shifting, tingly movement throughout his body and he came to a stop right behind Bill. He had phased right through him.

"Again I repeat: _You are a ghost without a vessel to possess!"_ the former triangle exclaimed, letting out a gleeful laugh.

Stan went numb, looking down at his see-through body. He had made a terrible mistake.

"Oh but don't worry." Bill suddenly said, stopping mid laugh, interrupting Stan from his lament. "I'm still gonna hold up my end of the bargain. Which should be starting right...about...Now."

Right at the exact moment that the word "now" left his lips, Stan discovered he wasn't the only thing floating. In a mixture of confusion and amazement, and slight panic, he watched as everything in the room suddenly began to levitate. The bed, the night stand, the chair in the corner, even Bill/Stan's body. Anything and everything that was not nailed down was floating in the air as if the gravity had been turned off.

"Whoa whoa whoa! Hey! What's going on?!"

"Isn't it obvious?" Bill asked, laying in a casual pose in the air, a lazy smile on his lips. "You're brother's coming home."

The world stopped and Stan felt his eyes widen. This...this was it.

"Stanford!"

The ghost suddenly shot off, floating as fast as he could out of the room and heading towards the secret lab. Stan barely registered the fact that the rest of the objects in the house were floating before he suddenly came to a sudden stop. "Wait, what am I doing?! I can just take the shortcut!"

He then positioned his ghostly body like one does when they are about to dive off a diving board into a swimming pool, and dove. Through the floorboards he went, past the other stories of the house and within moments, he was in his brother's secret lab.

Just like the rest of the house above, the gravity had ceased to exist in the lab as well. Everything minus for the portal and some of the bigger machines which were nailed and or welded to the floor, was floating lazily through the air. Stanley barely paid attention to that though for his attention was on the portal. Electric shocks zapped through and the rainbow colors spun around the opening at a rapid fire pace. The countdown clock flashed red numbers on the wall, getting closer to the end.

10

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

Everything was white. Stan found himself trapped in a void of white nothingness. He was sure that if he still had his physical body at this point, the force of the blast from the portal would have blown him back into the wall. He couldn't feel it but he could hear the deafening winds blowing and could vaguely make out the shapes of the floating objects, lazily drifting through the air.

And then suddenly, it all stopped.

Stan automatically winced as the gravity suddenly turned back on and all the floating objects fell to the ground. Things broke. Things dented. Things remained in tact but still landed with a loud bang. He heard broken pipes falling down with a loud creak behind and the sound of metal screaming in front of him. At the same time the vast void of whiteness disappeared and his sight returned. Stan blinked rapidly, trying to get his bearings. He gasped looking straight ahead. The portal had broken during the ordeal, but the entrance still remained in tact. The rainbow colors still swirling.

His attention was diverted away from the portal and to the stairs by a loud crashing noise. Down came his body, tumbling like a rag down the stairs until it stopped with Bill landing on his back. He grinned and laugh hysterically like an amused child. "That was fun!"

"What...what just happened?!" Stan demanded beginning to get overwhelmed.

Bill said nothing and just simply smiled as he sat up. His lifted a hand and pointed to the portal. "That just happened."

"Quickly, Stan looked back at the portal. He stared right at the entrance and he felt himself stop breathing (metaphorically) as a silhouette suddenly appeared in the center of the portal. The figure grew larger as they grew closer to the entrance. Stan's smile grew as the figure fully exited the portal.

The person was dressed in all black from head to toe, the face completely covered with only the nose poking out. They turned their head this way and that, surveying the damage of the laboratory from the lack of Gravity. But even with the face covered completely, one look at their hands and Stanley instantly knew the identity of the man in black.

"STANFORD!"

The younger twin pushed off, flying towards the man, arms outstretched for a long awaited hug. But instead of feeling arms around him, he felt a tingly sensation run through him. Sort of like when you foot falls asleep. Only spread throughout his whole body.

"Huh?" Stan blinked in confusion. His brother was no longer in front of him, both of their backs to each other, Stanley facing the portal, watching as the lights went out as it died once more. Stan turned looking behind him, finding his brother bent over, examining his old journal. The very journal they had fought over in over a year ago which ultimately resulted in them getting in this mess in the first place.

"Ford?" he said it quietly. His previous excitement beginning to fade. Cautiously, he floated over and reached his hand out to touch Ford's shoulder. The mullet man watched in alarm as his hand phased through, sinking completely into Ford's shoulder, that same tingly feeling from before returning. Quickly, he yanked his hand out and recoiled in horror. He couldn't touch him!

The ghost twin was brought out of his thoughts by a sound. No, his name. No, the sound of his name being said through a deep, furious, animalistic growl.

 _"Stanley!"_

Stan watched as his twin got to his feet and stormed over towards...him.

Or who Ford thought was him.

"Oh no, no! Ford! Wait! That's not me!" Stan called floating after his brother, but his warnings were useless.

"What were you thinking you knuckle head?!" Stanford demanded as he reached his target, their back to him. "You could have destroyed the universe! This was an _INSANELY_ risky move restarting the portal! Didn't you read my warnings!?"

"You got the wrong guy Ford!" Stan shouted, barely registering his brothers angry words. "I'm over here! Ford?! _STANFORD?!"_

"Ignoring me isn't going to work Stanley! Answer me, dammit! What the hell were you thinking?!" The six fingered scientist exclaimed when his target didn't turn around to acknowledge him, thus only making him angrier. "Stanley Pines! I am talking to you!"

From his standing-er, floating point of view, the real Stanley had a clear view of his brother's face. He could literally see the exact moment that his brother snapped. His brown eyes blazed with fury, the vein in his neck popped and his hand clenched into a fist. Stan watched as all of that anger and colored drained from Ford's face the instant his "brother" turned around and he saw the eyes. Those terrible sickening, otherworldly, yellow cat eyes. "No..."

"Welcome back Fordsy~" Bill grinned, ravishing in the look of pure horror and confusion on his former pawn's face.

"No...No! No! It can't be?!"

"Surprise~!" Bill laughed giddily. " "Oh boy, does it feel good to be in a body again...Though, I gotta say, this ones a little bit more on the chubby side."

"HEY!" Stan exclaimed insulted. "Who're you calling chubby?! At least I _have_ a stomach!"

But before he could continue on with his rant, Stan was interrupted when Ford suddenly lunched forward, grabbing Bill by the shirt and holding him up. The anger from moments before had returned, along with a new emotion: Determination.

"You! You leave my brother's body this instant!" Stanford demanded, tightening his grip on the t-shirt.

"Yeah! You've had your fun now gimme back my body!" Stan agreed, floating over and floating next to his twin.

"Hmmmm, yeah not gonna happen." the former triangle responded to both twins, then proceeded to push Ford off of him, causing the scientist to trip and fall.

Stan froze, Ford's fall seeming to go in slow motion. The younger twin froze, flashing back to the days of his youth. Of how whenever the school bullies would pick and push on his brother, Stan would retaliate. Those old protective instincts resurfaced, washing over Stan like a flood and all he could feel was one thing:

Rage.

"HEY! My body or not, nobody, and I mean NOBODY, pushes my brother around like that! _LEFT HOOK!"_

True to his word, he clenched his fist and charged at the dream monster, swinging his left fist at Bill's face and...phased right through.

"AW COME ON!"

"Besides, your brother and I made a deal." Bill continued, completely ignoring the incident that had just happened with Stan.

Stan turned just in time to see his brother sit up. Just in time to see the look or terror and horror appear in his eyes. "He...what?"

After a bit of a distraction of Bill and his reflection, Ford managed to get his former friend back on topic. Bill then explained the terms of the deal he and Stanley had made.

Ford sat there stunned and numb, letting the words sink in and Stanley could only watch as his nerdy brother began to retreat within himself. The reality of the situation becoming too much for him.

"Ford, please?! I'm here! I'm right here!" Stan begged, his voice cracking and emotional. Oh what he wouldn't give to be able to hug and comfort his twin right now. To let him know he was there. To-

Both twins were pulled out of their respective thoughts as a slapping sound was heard.

"Haha! Pain is hilarious!" Bill exclaimed staring at his reflection. A red handprint on his cheek.

"Hey hey! Don't damage the merchandise!" Stan scolded. Bill just slapped his other cheek, which was apparently the trigger into snapping Ford out of his hopeless slump. Stan watched the two as they broke out into a verbal fight.

"No! I wont allow it!" Ford swore, "I wont let you do to my brother what you did to me!"

The world stopped. Stan felt his eyes widen. Ford...had let bill possess him before?

"Ford?"

"Oh come off of it, Sixer." Bill scoffed. "You can drop the righteous, loving brother act now. We both know that everything you're saying right now is a lie."

"You know nothing!" Ford growled, clenching his hands into fists.

"Oh really?" Bill crossed his arms. "Then explain to me all those times where you ranted and raved to me about how your brother ruined your life?"

"Now see here-" Ford began, but Bill was on a roll and would not be stopped.

"About how he cost you your dream school by breaking that machine of yours?"

"Shut up!"

"How many times have you told me that you _hate_ him?"

Stan blinked, feeling as if he had been slapped in the face. A familiar wave of guilt washing over him as memories of a broken science fair project came rushing back. I mean, the portal incident he could understand Ford being mad about but the science fair? That was nearly eleven years ago!

A mixture of shock and disbelief swirled around inside the ghost conman's head. He had done all of this, he had worked so hard to being his brother, his best friend, home to his deminsion.

But his brother hated him.

"I said SHUT UP!"

Stan barely had time to register his brother's shout before he felt a tingly sensation as Ford ran right through him. Bill's sentence was cut off as Ford's fist made contact with his, (Stan's) jaw, and fell to the ground. Only to almost immediately be grabbed and lifted up by the shirt by the angry scientist.

Stan blinked stunned. A grin pulling at his lips, impressed. "Damn! When did you become such a badass? Also, DONT BRUISE MY FACE!"

"Wowzer Sixer! I don't think I've ever seen you this mad before. I kinda like this side of you." Bill grinned, still trapped in Ford's tight grip. "But like I said, your brother's my meat puppet till further notice."

"If you wont get out of Stanley's body then I'll _force_ you out!"

"Go ahead. "Do your worst. But just remember, whatever you do to me, you'll be doing to your brother."

Stan watched his twin's expression go from furious rage to horrified realization. He noted the way his body shook and how pale he grew as his grip loosened on the enemy.

"Ford don't listen to him!" the younger twin called even though he knew it was useless. "He's trying to get to you! Beat me up! I don't care! I've been through worse! Seriously!"

"What do you want?" Ford whispered in a low broken voice.

"I want you to fix the portal."

"NO!" Ford shouted so suddenly, loudly and firmly, he unknowingly startled his currently ghostly brother. "Forget it! I wont do it!"

A moment passed. Stan glancing over at Bill, waiting for his reply, bracing himself for whatever fight was about to break out-

"Suit yourself then."

"I wont let you take over-...wait what?!"

"Huh?" Stan raised an eyebrow.

"I said, suit yourself. Are you even listening?" Bill snapped, rolling his eyes.

"...That's it? No rebuttle?" the now dumbfounded Stanford asked, not beliveing what he was hearing.

"What more do you want from me Stanford?! Geez!" Bill sighed, reaching a hand up and wriggling Ford's six fingers from the shirt. The former Cyclops then proceeded to calmly walk up the stairs, leaving the Stan twins alone.

Stan glanced over at his twin still frozen in shock over the conversation that just happened. He hesitated for just a moment before zooming upwards, through the ceiling and up to the main part of the house, stopping once he reached the kitchen.

"Okay ya freak what the hell are you playing at!?"

"It seems your brother needs a bit of a persuasion to see things my way." Bill stated, smiling his signature sadistic smile as he began rummaging through the kitchen drawers.

"What are you doing?! Why are you this?! Hey! I'm talking to you! BILL!"

But the younger twins demands were ignored and cut short. Stan opened his mouth to continue to speak but the words died on his lips, turning into a horrified gasp as Bill suddenly pulled out a very large, very sharp looking knife.

"This should do the trick!"

"H-Hey! Hey! Hey! Wha-what're you doing with that?! Put it dow-"

"Bill!?" they suddenly heard Ford call, accompanied by the sound of running feet.

The demon's grin grew even wider. "Perfect timing."

Before Stan could get out another word, with a flick of the wrist the ghostly man watched horrified as his possessed body dug the knife into his own arm. The blade slicing the flesh as it was drug down the length of the arm, stopping just before reaching the wrist. All the while a river of blood seeping from the wound and onto the tiled floor.

"ARE YOU INSANE?!"

"Just a little bit. By the way this will probably leave a scar."

"Bill?!" Ford was heard once again. Sounding closer this time. He rounded the corner and stopped dead in his tracks, his horrified expression mirroring Stan's when he saw the wound.

The former triangle grinned, carelessly twirling the knife around in his non injured hand. "You know, I'm partially fond of yellow myself, but I also like red too~"

What followed next was all a blur that Stan had an unwilling front row seat to witnessing. Bill made a second cut, the action causing Ford to literally leaps into action, attempting to tackle his possessed body, only to slip on the blood.

"Ah, ah, ah~ Not so fast Fordsy." Bill tutted. ""You keep forgetting he's mine now. Which means I can do whatever I want with him!"

"Like hell it does!" Stanley exclaimed. "I never said you could slice my freaking ar-!"

"And what I want," Stan's rant was cut off, freezing in terror as Bill suddenly placed the knife at his throat. "Is to make him bleed."

Shit.

A back and forth between Ford and Bill ensued. The scientist begging, pleading with the monster to show mercy and spare his brother. Bill however refused to budge. His demands the same."

"Stop it! DON'T!" Stan screamed, watching as Bill dug the knife a tiny bit deeper, making a small trickle of blood appear. "You cant do this!"

"I can and I will!" Bill declared to both of the Stan's. "A deal is a deal!"

See through hands grabbed as transparent hair in a panic. Stanley desperately trying to think of someway to save himself from this fate. If Bill actually did manage to kill the body, what would happen to him? He'd be stuck as a ghost forever!

"Wait!"

Stan was pulled from his paniced thinking, looking over at his brother. Bill did the same, still keeping the knife in place.

"You like making deals. Make one with me."

"What?" Stan gaped at his twin. "Ford you cannot be serious?!"

"Go on." Bill instructed; his curiosity peeked.

"Give me two weeks. You promise not to hurt Stanley during those two weeks and give me some time. If I cant find a way to get you out of his body, then I'll fix the portal."

"Why on earth would I do that?"

"Because if you don't take my deal, then I wont fix the portal. And if you hurt Stanley than you wont have a physical form anymore. You and I both know that your powers are limited when possessing a human. And if I cant...if I cant defeat you, then I'll fix the portal. You'll have rule over this deminsion and an actual physical form of your own."

Silence filled the tiny kitchen. Stan looking anxiously between his brother and at his own body. He knew the deal was a bad one. But what other choice was there? He was a literal deadman otherwise. Besides, apparently the only one who could see him and hear him was Bill. And the former triangle was obviously keeping that fact hidden from the scientist.

"Make it one week." Bill demanded, thankfully lowering the knife.

"One week." Ford relented, reaching out his hand to seal the deal.

The familiar, psychotic smile returned. Stan jumped in surprise as he watched his own hand erupt into blue flames and then clasp with his twins.

"See you in a week Sixer. And don't worry. I'll take _good_ care of your brother for ya~"

The whole kitchen erupted into a burst of blinding blue light as Stan's whole body erupted into the signature blue fire. Bill's crazed, victorious laughter mixed with Stan's echoed through the room and in an instant, both Bill and the body were gone. Only a scortch mark remained.

The kitchen fell into silence. The twins once again left to themselves. Stan was numb, trying to process the events that just occurred. He was pulled out of his thoughts by a soft, but heavy thud.

Ford had fallen to his knees, the palms of his hands behind his glasses and pressing into his eyes. His body shaking violently with heavy, fearful sobs.

"Ford..."

He was home. After being gone for so long, his brother was finally home. And once again, Stan had managed to screw up both his, and his brother's lives.

"Ford I...I'm sorry..." he spoke, knowing that he wasn't able to be heard. "I...I just wanted to bring you back..."

As expected, Stanford didn't respond. Didn't look over. The only sounds coming from him were the sniffling sobs. Looking so alone. Lost. Frightened.

Stan floated over, kneeling next to his brother. He reached over, wrapping his arms around his distressed twin. Wishing, hoping against hope that Stanford could feel it, at least a tiny bit.

"I'm here Sixer...please don't cry...I'm here...I'm right here."

* * *

 **So surprise~! Our loveable conman has been with us the whole time. We just didn't know it. =P**

 **I do apologize that this is basically a re-write of chapter 3. I got the idea to retell this scene through Stan's POV and well, this is what happened. I tried not to copy the entirety of chapter 3 word for word and I also tried to break things up a bit by adding in Stan's reactions. I hope I did okay. ^^;**

 **Chapter 7 will be out ASAP. I hope you all enjoyed this. Thank you for reading and have a great day! Bye!  
**


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